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Autodesk 3ds Max has grown to be one of the top 3D animation software options, focused on providing a powerful modeling architecture for graphic designers. The product is actually developed in two editions: Autodesk 3ds Max, addressed especially to game developers and visual effects artists, and Autodesk 3ds Max Design which is recommended for architects and engineers.

In other words, Autodesk 3ds Max rather favors aesthetics and has application in cinema and movie productions, architectural visualization studios, yet shows a distinct predilection for game development and design. It manages to deliver a rich amount of creative tool sets and a powerful graphics core that allow users to unleash their creativity beyond imagination.

Complex setup and professional-looking GUI

Deploying the application on your system requires quite an amount of time, so arm yourself with patience. An online form needs to be completed with some basic information in order to download the software, and then the Akamai NetSession Interface grants you access to the 3ds Max installation.

The interface has a professional look and feel, which is expected in this kind of software. Moreover, it is equipped with sets of buttons that allow easy access to the program’s features, while the menus accommodate extensive functionality.

Some of the most impressive options comprised

Amongst its most important features we count the advanced polygon and texture modeling, the Character Animation Toolkit for character rigging and animation design, the pipeline and workflow support, the MAXScript scripting language that automates repetitive tasks, the Scene Explorer that ensures an hierarchical view of scene design and the ability to import and link DWG files.

Export characters into runtime game apps and access the plethora of tutorials provided

Other features found in Autodesk 3ds Max include PhysX Nvidia right body dynamics (after creating physics-rich characters and environments, this allows you to easily export them into runtime game apps), a flexible plugin structure, a redesigned UV editor as well as an iray renderer (which is photorealistic).

One outstanding advantage of all Autodesk products is the extensive help and tutorial documentation available on the developer’s website. In addition to that, you can always turn to Autodesk’s vast community for discussions or tips.

Bottom line

In conclusion, Autodesk 3ds Max is a top choice in the category of 3D animation software solutions. It is quite demanding on the system resources, yet it is a small price to pay for such a powerful and reliable modeling software. It serves flawlessly in fields such as video game development or movie making and increases the overall productivity.

Small Annoying Things - With the understanding that small things can make a big difference, 3ds Max 2015 addresses up to ten minor workflow obstacles identified as high priority by customers. Among these are the ability to preserve UVs for Inset Polygons; the ability to slide partials loops in Swift Loops; and adaptive viewport navigation for smarter zooming, panning, and orbiting. Customers can suggest their own workflow improvements and vote on current suggestions using the Small Annoying Things forum.